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ducing short-jointed firm wood with rather dormant- 
looking eyes. All such sorts will require what is 
termed “close pruning,” that is, the shoots of the 
previous year’s growth to be cut down to within an 
inch or two of the old or two years’ wood, leaving 
only two or three eyes at the base of the previous 
year’s shoot ; these will throw out one, two, or 
three shoots, with trusses or single blooms at the end 
of each. To form a conical-shaped plant, prune the 
centre shoots rather closer than the outer and lower 
ones ; the centre will then grow up in advance of the 
sides, and give the plant a pyramidal shape. The 
vigorous growers in these classes will require a 
moderate pruning, say for the stronger shoots six 
inches, and for the weaker ones four inches. 
The Hybrid China and Hybrid Bourbons are 
mostly very vigorous growers, and require more 
care in pruning than most sorts. An acquaintance 
with the varieties is necessary to enable the operator 
to prune these successfully. Many of the most 
vigorous often produce shoots six and seven feet 
long in a season, which if pruned close as recom- 
mended for the French and others, would not 
produce a single flower. These vigorous growers 
must be well thinned, and the strongest shoots left 
two feet and upwards in length, and the weak ones 
from one foot to eighteen inches. There are some 
sorts, such as Blairii, Triomphe de Boyeux, Brennus, 
Fulgens, and a few others, in which the vigorous 
shoots may be left nearly the full length ; and to 
make them bloom abundantly this is often necessary. 
For the moderate growers in these two classes, six 
